707
The day after Edith's death, Edward is determined to find out who has learned the family secret; Rachel learns the legend of the tower room and when she sees a light there, reports it to Edward. Synopsis Teaser : Barnabas Collins remains in a deep trance. He has employed the mysterious powers of the I-Ching, and in the basement of the Old House has gone through the door to the infinite hoping to find and defeat the spirit that haunts Collinwood. But, beyond the door, he has been transported back in time to the year 1897, a time of intrigue and terror for all who lived at Collinwood. Edward Collins comes down the stairs into the foyer in mourning clothes. He then enters the drawing room and goes to light his pipe, triggering some of Carl's fake "snakes" to pop out of the tobacco tin. Edward accuses Carl of being a buffoon who would be more at home in the sanitarium as he does not appear to be in mourning, the day after his grandmother's death. Carl taunts him with the information that Edith died without telling him the family secret, and tells him that someone else at Collinwood knows. Act I Judith comes down the stairs and asks Edward what is going on. He brushes her off, simply ordering her to go into the drawing room. Carl comes down the stairs to report that Quentin is just rising and tries to speak to Edward, who brutishly tells him to go inside. When Quentin arrives he insults Edward, accusing him of having a family meeting before Edith is even buried yet. They go inside and Edward closes the doors. Once inside Edward demands to know which of the other three knows the secret, since Edith would not have told one of the children or a non-relative. Carl says it could not be him because he hardly saw Edith, but Edward points out he was alone with her some. Quentin says it had to be Judith because she spent most of her time with Edith and did her best to prevent anyone else from seeing her and accuses her of being a terrible liar. Judith says that no one is better at lying that Quentin and demands that Quentin tell Edward about the night he nearly killed Edith (705). Edward orders everyone to stay in the room until someone admits they are lying. Judith protests that they only have Magda's word, but Quentin points out that Judith allowed Barnabas to be alone with Edith and that he is a relative (or claims to be). Edward sends Carl to the Old House to get Barnabas. Carl goes to the Old House, calls out for Barnabas, and heads for the basement. Act II Sandor comes out of the cellar and asks Carl why he is there and that Barnabas has gone away for the day. Carl gets upset, saying Edward will not believe him and Sandor should come back to Collinwood to tell Edward. On the terrace, Rachel Drummond is getting some air when Quentin comes out and begins to chat her up, asking her to call him by his first name and offering to show her around the entire house, starting with the main structure and the west wing (where he lives). Rachel, thanks him, and changes the subject to the tower room. Quentin tells her he must stay away from it and no one has been there in over 100 years because of the old legend that "some woman committed suicide up there in 1796." Rachel moves to get away from him, but he stays near her, insisting that they are going to become "very good friends." Carl and Sandor arrive to tell Edward that Barnabas is not home. As Carl and Edward leave, Judith comes down the stairs and tells Sandor that he and Magda have twenty-four hours to get off the property now that Edith is dead. Act III That evening, Rachel goes back to the terrace and sees the light on in the tower room. Judith enters the drawing room and asks to speak to Edward, closing the doors behind her. She tells Edward his instructions concerning the Tower room are being carried out, which upsets him as he thought she understood he did not want her to ever speak of the Tower room to him again. Judith protests that she occasionally needs his guidance in the matter, but Edward says he put her in charge and trusts her "usual efficiency" in dealing with the situation. She says Beth visits the room three times a day and pays the weekly installments to Mrs. Philmore. She says Edward is paying Beth too much and Edward tells her that silence and loyalty do not come cheap. He reminds Judith that he never wants to hear of "that situation" ever again and dismisses Judith. Just then, Rachel bursts into the room, announcing that the lights are on in the tower room. Judith scurries out of the room to put the light out while Edward tells Rachel she must be mistaken. She tells him of Quentin's story and Edward says that the legend does exist, but that there is no electricity in the tower room. He then slowly escorts her back outside to show her that the lights are out. Memorable quotes : Edward (to Carl after opening the joke snake canister): If you have any more dreary little contraptions hidden in this room, I wish you would tell me about them now. : __________________________________________________________________________ : Edward: But then, you're so easily amused, Carl. You must be a frightfully happy person. : Carl: Why, yes, I guess I am most of the time. : Edward: Well, perhaps we can arrange for you to be happy all of the time...in a sanitarium, where you can regale your fellow inmates with one prank after another. : ____________________________________________________________________________ : Carl: Someone knows the secret, Edward. Someone right here in this house. ---- : Quentin: (referring to Judith) Look at her, Edward! She never could lie very well. : Judith: When it comes to straight-faced lying, Quentin, it is impossible to compete with you! : Quentin: Touché! ---- : Quentin: (speaking to Edward about Edith) I'd like to be able to say that you were right, Edward, but alas, the old lady was too much for me. The regrettable fact is she wasn't afraid of dying! ---- : Sandor: There must be gypsy blood somewhere in your family. : Carl: What are you talking about? : Sandor: No one in the family trust anyone else! ---- : Quentin: I know Collinwood more intimately than anyone else in the family. ---- : Rachel: Uh, um, the tower, the tower. Is that a part of the west wing? : Quentin: Oh, the tower, I'm afraid, is one place we'll have to stay away from. : Rachel: Why? : Quentin: Well, no one in the family has been in the tower room in over a hundred years. : Rachel: Why not? : Quentin: Oh, it's an old family legend that a woman committed suicide in that room back in 1796. : Rachel: And ever since then (pause) the people have been afraid that it's haunted? : Quentin: Yes. ---- : Edward: (sitting at the writing desk in the drawing room) I told the servants I didn't wish to be disturbed. : Judith: I'm sorry, Edward, but I have to speak with you. : Edward: Well, what is it? : Judith: May we go to the study? : Edward: If it's privacy you want, you may have it here; just close the door. Dramatis personae * ← Joan Bennett as Judith Collins → * ← Louis Edmonds as Edward Collins → * ← Kathryn Leigh Scott as Rachel Drummond → * ← Thayer David as Sandor→ * ← John Karlen as Carl Collins → * ← David Selby as Quentin Collins → Background information and notes Production * This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 708. * This is the first episode without Jonathan Frid since episode 693. Story * The "legend of the tower room" refers of the death of Naomi Collins. According to Quentin, no one has been in the tower room for over 100 years. The family legend has it that a woman committed suicide in there in the year 1796, as seen in 458. * TIMELINE: Edith died last night. Carl was with Magda last night. It was last night when Quentin tried to force the family secret out of Edith (occurred in 704). It's afternoon. Judith gives Sandor and Magda 24 hours to leave the Collins family property. Bloopers and continuity errors * Carl only replaces one of the two "snakes" in the can before tightening the lid again. * A boom microphone shadow can be seen several times on Carl's head as he and Edward argue in the drawing room. * The boom microphone moves from the top left to the top center of the screen as Edward closes the doors to the drawing room. * The round tufted seat in the old house is more appropriate to 1960/70 than 1860/70. that is an upholstered banquette, and most certainly 19th century. * The boom microphone quickly moves up and out of frame as Rachel and Quentin approach the fountain. * When Sandor tells Edward that Barnabas went away for the day, Louis Edmonds flubs, "He doesn't know anyone in Collinwood," rather than "Collinsport." 0707 * When Joan Bennett addresses Sandor from the top of the stairs, she's a bit too close to the boom Mike, and her voice is both louder than usual and somewhat distorted. * Although necessary to keep production costs down, it was considered very bad taste in the Victorian era to wear only a black armband rather than full black clothing (unless you were a military man in uniform). External Links Dark Shadows - Episode 707 on the IMDb Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 707 - Another Jane